We interviewed John Cale in issue #156 around the time of his previous release, Mercy. He has just released POPtical Illusion, a collection of synth and keyboard heavy tunes that carry a heavy, and at times angry message about the state of the world. That is not to say that that Cale has lost all hope and there is optimism that we can still bring about change. POPtical Illusion was produced by Cale along with longtime artistic collaborator Nita Scott.
It was at a recent trade show, after a major DAW manufacturer cancelled our meeting, that I realized I was relieved to be off the hook. I always enjoy meeting with this person, and I use and like their products. But I was relieved to not hear...
Speaking of the art world, reader Halsey Burgund sent a link to his installation that “involves some unconventional recording techniques, mainly doing it wirelessly and using lots of open-source and customized software.” Looks like fun...
An Osees album with no guitars??? Yes, you heard that right, but fans of the band need not worry! SORCS 80 has all of the experimental punk rock attitude and delivery the band is known for, only on this album it's framed by heavy synths, bass,...
We interviewed Mike Campbell for issue #150, right around the time he and his band, The Dirty Knobs released their second LP, External Combustion. A year on, the band has released a new collection of music, Vagabonds, Virgins and Misfits. The Dirty...
There have been so many great releases in 2017 that it is hard to pick just a top five or ten! This is no way definitive year end wrap-up, but here are a few of this year's Tape Op staff favorites. Happy listening!
Larry Crane
Roger Waters-...
The Smart Studios Story
Wendy Schneider, director
At this point, Butch Vig [Tape Op #11] and Smart Studios are the stuff of legend. From the album that destroyed music’s status quo (Nirvana’s Nevermind), to Smashing Pumpkin's Gish...
Eddie Ashworth dropped me a line about the work he and many other scholars are doing with the Art of Record Production folks. Be sure to read The Journal for the Art of Record Production online. It's densely full of articles, interviews, reviews...
Interviews, Stories, and the Truth
by Larry Crane
In Tape Op issue #53 I interviewed Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan, authors of the then-recently released book, Recording The Beatles. One of the topics we discussed was interviewing...